The 2009 International Convention of the International Lutheran Laymen's League includes a little something for everyone, with speakers and events to entertain and educate! Join us July 16-19 in Greensboro, North Carolina, for a time of fellowship and Christian purpose.

On Thursday, July 16, the men and women will go their separate ways for the LHM Men's NetWork lunch at Kyle Petty's farm and the Pattie Petty and Phyllis Wallace luncheon at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel. The men will enjoy the outdoors, Southern cooking, and some great fellowship time while the women will hear Pattie Petty's inspirational story about her work with Victory Junction. The organization provides a sense of normalcy for kids with chronic medical conditions through life-changing camping experiences.

On Friday, the Fellowship Luncheon with legendary NASCAR driver Ned Jarrett keeps you going at high speeds as he talks about carving his niche in the racing world while maintaining his relationship with the Lord. In the evening, Family Night allows you to go back to a much simpler time, with a re-enactment of the town of Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show. Actors portray Barney Fife, Floyd Lawson, and Otis Campbell. The Cockman Family Gospel Bluegrass Band will provide the evening's musical entertainment.

On Saturday morning, have breakfast with the International Ministry Center Directors who are traveling to this year's convention, and you'll experience a thrilling ethnic dance performance by Djembe Fire. The group is made up of six to eight drummers and dancers from across Africa, who tell stories through a fusion of African music and dance. This is a kind of storytelling not often heard in Greensboro, North Carolina - but it does represent the variety of culturally appropriate events that LHM staff and volunteers use to reach people in their respective countries.

You won't want to miss the "LHM Celebrates the Savior" Worship Event on Saturday afternoon. Free and open to the public, the event features Pastor Ken Klaus, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour. The event is always a blessing, with more than 1,000 Christians worshipping together. At the Saturday evening banquet, you will enjoy the theatrical talent of Peculiar People, a Christian drama troupe that aims to remind people just how amazing God's grace is!

It's not too late to make your plans to attend the 2009 international convention and take part in these exciting events. Visit www.lhm.org/convention for more details or to register.

Complementing the April release of The Challenge of Islam (Part One): What is Islam? is its counterpart: The Challenge of Islam (Part Two): Defending the Christian Faith. In this brand-new LHM Men's NetWork video Bible study installment, Sam Shamoun continues his examination of the Islamic faith. Available at www.lhmmen.com, this original study assesses key texts from the Qur'an and the Bible, evaluates Muslim claims for the priority of the Qur'an against the Bible, and considers the position held by Islam that the Bible is textually corrupt. Other topics, such as the sonship of believers and the Muslim concept of the Trinity, are reviewed and clarified.

Of special interest in this study is Shamoun's discussion of the three phases of jihad. This term—oft-mentioned and frequently heard in print and electronic media everywhere—actually has three components: peaceful tolerance, defensive, and offensive. Whichever level of jihad is practiced depends on the prevailing social and political milieu Muslims find themselves in.

Defending the Christian Faith concludes with a view of how society might be radically altered if non-Muslims' conduct and beliefs were subjugated to Islam. Shamoun concludes by offering Christians encouragement, along with talking points to use in discussing faith issues with Muslims and sharing the hope Christians have in Christ Jesus.

As an Arab Christian, Shamoun navigates two worlds. Born in Kuwait but raised in the United States, he has long compared and contrasted the tenets and texts of Christianity and Islam—two of the world's most prominent monotheistic faiths. Fluent in both Arabic and English, he brings a learned style and a conversational approach to this Men's NetWork Bible study.

To read more about this and other LHM Men's NetWork Bible studies, go to www.lhmmen.com. There you will find an entire resource center dedicated to men's ministry.

As the mainstay of its leadership continues to age and since younger generations are often not inclined to join organizations for long-term leadership roles, the Int'l LLL Board of Governors has discussed new ways to reach more grassroots supporters and to be better stewards of ministry resources.

Attendees of this summer's international convention of the Int'l LLL will vote on a proposal to adopt biennial international conventions beginning with the 2010 international convention in Omaha, Nebraska. If approved, beginning in 2011 regional meetings would be held in place of the international convention in off years. The Board would also begin preparing the actions needed for adoption at the 2010 international convention to facilitate changes in corporate bylaws and policies to deal with matters such as convention timing and the election of officers.

"The world around us is changing the way it does business, the way it communicates, and the way people engage in service activities," said Mick Onnen, President of the Int'l LLL. "That's why we believe bringing our meetings closer to the grassroots every other year will make them more accessible to the younger working class, which will allow us to reach more people with the excitement of the ministry and provide outstanding training and motivation to all."

Onnen continued, "Although significant cost savings could be expected, greater exposure, accessibility and engagement with participants are the primary benefits."

The proposal calls for conducting approximately 15 odd-year regional conferences scattered throughout the U.S. and Canada. The staff of Lutheran Hour Ministries would work with Int'l LLL districts within each region to make arrangements and plan the program for Bible studies and worship, ministry updates, motivational speakers, training sessions, and perhaps a servant event to promote community involvement and attract new supporters.

"International conventions will continue to serve the valuable purposes of energizing the laity, sharing the LHM story, and staying in contact with our most involved supporters," said Onnen. "But we also recognize that reaching new people with our story is critical for the future of the league. Please give this your prayerful consideration as we further evaluate and present this ballot issue at the 2009 convention."

A question and answer session will be held at the convention to make sure everyone is clear about the proposal before a vote is taken. More information about the proposal can be found online at www.lhm.org/convention.

We have a new addition to the LHM staff. As of June 1, Nilo Figur has taken on the position of Area Counselor for Latin America and the Caribbean. Nilo, originally from Brazil, most recently served as a professor of communications at Concordia University in Austin, Texas, and has been a great friend of the ministry for more than 20 years.

Nilo was a pastor in Brazil and served in several leadership positions in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Brazil (IELB) including Secretary and Vice President of Communications. He has extensive experience in communication, as well as training as a pastor and as a journalist. He holds a degree in communications from Webster University and is finishing his doctorate in communications at the University of Texas at Austin.

With the arrival of Nilo, we bid a fond farewell to Ken Peterson, who retired from that position. Ken served the Lord through LHM for more than 25 years, first as an office director in Venezuela, then as International director and, later, Ministries director (combining the U.S. and international departments), before moving to Panama in 1995 as the Area Counselor.

The annual meeting for members of The Lutheran Hour Ministries Foundation will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on July 16 at the Int'l LLL international convention in Greensboro, North Carolina. Members will receive the official report on the foundation's operations and activities. Invitations will be sent this month. Foundation members include the current Int'l LLL Board of Governors, past members of the Executive Committee, present and past trustees of The LHM Foundation, and all past members of The Hoffmann Society Advisory Council. To RSVP for the meeting, please call 1-877-333-1963.